Spring stretcher with compressible grips for rationally developing the human physical strength



- IVI. C. FIDORA. Y SPRING STRETCHER WITH COMPRESSIBLE GRIPS FOR RATIONALLY DEVELOPING THE HUMAN PHYSICAL STRENGTH. APPLICATION mw Nov. 21, 1919.

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LIAR-IO CESARE PIEDRA, OF TURIN, ITALY.

, SPRING STRETCHER WITH COMPRESSTBLE`GRPS FOR RATIONALLY DEVELOPING THE HUMAN PHYSICAL STRENGTH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Paytntd June 27, 1922.

Application filed November 21, 1919. Serial No.- 339,773.

To all 107mm it may concern.'

Be it known that 1, Makro Cnsann FIDORA, a subject of the King of italy. of 16, via Mercanti, Turin. Italy, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in Spring Stretchers with Compressible Grips for Rationally Developing the Human Physical Strength; and l do hereby declare the following to' be a full, clear, and exact description of the'invention. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had-to the accompanying drawings and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object a spring stretcher with compressible grips. Its chief feature consists in the combination ot compressible grips with insulating elastic belts in, order to obtain an apparatus that is very light, strong, smart and may be easily dismounted and carried about. Said apparatus allows moreover a very easy exercise or a great exertion for compressing the grips and stretching the belts. In other words it combines all the advantages ot diierent gymnasium apparatus for developing all the muscles of the human body.

The chief aim oit this apparatus is to exercise the hand and forearm muscles at the same time as all other muscles of the body. Owing to the insulating spring belts it is possible to apply. when exercising, the electric current which passes through the body thus` obtaining the well known beneficial therapeutic elects.

The apparatus comprises two grips that may be caused to turn on pins. Each grip is formed by two metallic half-cylinders that may be brought near each other by overcoming the resistance of two or more springs, the load on these latter being controlled by means of a special device. The grips are provided with catches and connected together by means of a series of elastic belts, the number of which may be varied according to the required strength of eX- ertion.

This apparatus may be attached to the wall by means of a strap, to which one end of the elastic belts will be secured; one halt of their opposite ends will be connected to a grip and the other half to another grip.

V`In the annexed'clrawing is shown by way of example a constructional form of this apparatus.

F ig. 1 is a partially sectioned plan view.

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned side view.

.Fig 3 shows the attachment of the. grip double catch.

Figs. t, 5, 6 andv 7 are detail views.

The apparatus comprises by two grips 1 to the end of which are hinged metallic rods 2 connected by means of an elastic tube 3.

Each grip consists of:

Two half cylinders 4 having a rough outer surface in order to allow a rmer grasp of the hands and provided at both ends at their inner part 5 with tour pins to which are secured the rods 6 crossing eachother two by two, a cylindrical bar 7 provided at one end with a head and at its other end with a nut and clamp for thev connection with the wire of the electric apparatus. On said bar are placed two metallic tubes9 threaded in opposite direction at one end and so disposed that the threaded parts vare in contact. To said tubes are screwed the plates 10 carrying spiral springs 11. A wheel 12 is placed at the central part and is provided in lieu ot the hub with teeth` engaging in recesses provided in the tubes9 and causing these latter to rotate. OnV the tubes 9 are situated helical springs 11, and, it it is 'desired to increase the resistance, spring 27 of smaller diameter may be inserted concentrically. AThe springsY are linally enclosed by plates 13 to which are connected bearings 14 providedV with pins 15 on which are secured the rods 6.

It it is desired to keep the grips closed, it is only necessary to close the catch 16. The metallic tube 3 is provided with cross openings 17 in which the catches 18 of the belts 19 will engage; these latter consist of rubber tubes hinged in the cylindrical rod 20 passing through the tube 3. The rod is held in place by a spring pawl 21 and, in order to make its dismounting easier, it is provided at its opposite end with a release spring 22. rlihe attachment of the rubberV tubes to the catches is effected very easily by means of a small ball 28. To each catch is screwed a hollow cylinder 24 having a throttling 25, through which one end of the rubber tube is caused to pass whereupon the small ball is introduced. It will be seen that, when stretching the rubber tube, the ball pulled by the tube will be Strongly pressed against the cylinder throttling thus preventing the escape of the tube.

The balls 23, placed at the ends of the tube, may be connected together by means of a safety string 26 that serves to determine the maximum pull of the rubber.

The use of this apparatus is very simple.

The two grips are grasped vone by each hand and compressed as much as possible stretching at the same time the arms overcoming the-resistance of the rubber tubes.

To graduate the exercises it will be suiiicient to vary the load on the spiral spring 1l by causing the wheel l2 to turn, thus setting the plates l0 more or less apart. If the spring load were not suiicient, the spiral springs 27 will be added; this is very easy the apparatus being, as it has been demonstrated, so constructed as to permit an easy and rapid dismounting of all its parts. The nut and clamp 8 are unscrewed, the rod 7 and then the pins 15 are removed and the apparatus is thus dismounted.

In order to remove and insert the elastic tubes, it will be suicient to press pawl 2l thus setting the rod free; it is in this way possible to increase the number of the tubes by inserting, instead of the simple catches `8, the double catches 28shown in Fig. 3.

Claims.

l. In an exercising apparatus, acompressible grip comprising two oppositely disposed handles, two spiral springs arranged longitudinally of and between said handles, compression plates arranged at the ends of the springs, cross rods connecting the plates and handles, guide tubes arranged between the springs, and means for adjusting the tubes to regulate the tension of the springs.

2. In an exercising apparatus, a compressible grip comprising two oppositely disposed handles, two spiral springs arranged longitudinally of and between saidhandles, compression .plates arranged at the` ends of the springs, cross rods connecting the platesv and handles, guide tubes arranged between the springs,means for adjusting thetubes to regulate the tension of the springs, a rod extending axially through the springs, a plurality of elastic resistance members, and

means connecting the latter with said rod.

3. In an exercising apparatus, a compressible grip comprising two oppositely disposed handles, a rod between the latter, tubes on the rod having oppositely arranged threads on their inner adjacent ends, plates on the outer ends of said tubes, plates screwed on the threads, spiral springs surrounding the tubes and interposed between the plates, means connecting the end plates with the handles, and means for rotating the threaded plates whereby the tension of the springs is regulated. l

4l. In an exercising apparatus, the combination with a compressible grip, of a plurality of elastic resistance members, a rod to which the latter are connected, means connecting the rod and grip, a tube enclosing the rod having openings through which the ends of the resistance members project.

5. In an exercising apparatus, the combination with a compressible grip, of a tube arranged parallel thereto, means pivotally connecting the tube to the grip, a rod mounted in the tube, a spring pawl for locking the rod in the tube, and a spring for forcing the rod out of the tube when said rod is released by the pawl.

6. In an exercising apparatus, the combination with a compressible grip, a connecting bar connected thereto, and a plurality of elastic resistance members, of means for connecting the latter to said rod comprising a hook adapted to engage the rod having a threaded end, a cylinder screwed onto said end having a contracted interiori portion, an elastic tube projecting through the contracted portion of the cylindenand a ball mounted in the end of thea tube of larger diameter than the contracted portion of cylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name MARIO GE SARE FIDORA. 

